When I was a very small child, my pediatrician was a man named Dr. Humphries, and his clinic was in Five Points West, near our house in Bush Hills. The family story is that I could tell by the direction my parents turned at a key intersection whether we were going to the doctor’s office or to some place fun (like Sikes Shoes, Kiddieland or Britling’s Cafeteria). The nurses (Ms. Betty and Ms. Kelly are most memorable) wore white shirtdresses, white stockings, and little folded hats, and they held me down for injections and taught me to close my eyes and say “ouch, ouch, OUCH!” when it was time for those shots. Dr. Humphries had little rimless glasses, white hair and a dry manner. He talked to my mother over my head while I worried away on the exam table, but he’d pat my leg occasionally as if to acknowledge my presence and my anxiety. I remember how Dr. Humphries smelled when he leaned in to look in my ears or throat, and I remember the relief upon leaving the building, because that meant I got to go to my grandmother’s house for an ice cream Push-up.
Whether we find our memories of doctor visits pleasant or not-so-pleasant, we can agree that physicians have a tremendous impact on us. Although we had some fun with this month’s cover photo of a doctor-as-superhero, we know they’re not superheroes, or gods, or miracle workers, though we expect them to be. They have great power and we want them to use it for our personal good. The impression they leave on our lives—our health, our attitudes, our relationships—does seem to tip toward superhuman at times. But they are just people who studied hard for a long time and worked crazy hours to ultimately gain great success and the burdens of malpractice insurance. They have families, they have hobbies, they have lives outside of the hospital or clinic, though we often forget that. The best ones make us better inside and out, they make us feel human and hopeful even if the news is bad, and they make us better able to care for ourselves and for those we love.
Birmingham magazine celebrates the Best Doctors in our area, as well as the other caregivers, from nurses to clergy, who heal our bodies, minds and spirits. We congratulate them and thank them for their dedication to us all.
May we all have a safe and healthy holiday season.
Julie Keith, vice president of publishing
